Bhagat Singh’s Birth Anniversary

September 28 marks the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh.

Birth and Early Life

• Born: September 28, 1907, in Banga, Punjab (now in Pakistan).
• Family Background: Came from a Sikh family actively involved in the freedom struggle; 
• His father, Kishan Singh, and uncle, Ajit Singh, were notable freedom fighters. 
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Witnessed the massacre at age 12, which fueled his vow to free India from British rule.
• Education and Revolutionary Organisations:
• Education: Bhagat Singh joined the National College, Lahore, founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, where he was exposed to revolutionary ideas and focused on the Swadeshi Movement. 
• Hindustan Republican Association: Joined in 1924, which later became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928.
• This association was founded in 1928
• Founders: Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sukhdev Thapar, Sachindra Nath Sanyal
• Naujawan Bharat Sabha: Founded in 1926 by bhagat Singh to mobilise youth for the freedom struggle.
• Worker and peasant party: In 1926, Bhagar singh connected with Sohan Singh Josh, with the help of whom, he established worker and peasant party.
• This party launched a monthly magazine named “ Kirti” in Punjab which focused on workers and peasant’s issues. 
• Martyrs’ Day( Execution Date): The date of his execution, March 23, is observed as Martyrs’ Day to honour him and his fellow revolutionaries, Sukhdev and Rajguru.

Major Actions

• Assassination of J.P. Saunders: Involved in the 1928 assassination of police officer J.P. Saunders as revenge for Lala Lajpat Rai’s death due to police brutality.
• Central Legislative Assembly Bombing: Threw a bomb in the assembly on April 18, 1929, with B.K. Dutt to protest against oppressive British laws.

Arrest and Execution

• Arrested: Captured in 1929 for the bomb incident and charged with murder in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
• He was first arrested on charges of association with the Kakori Case
• Kakori case was an armed robbery which took place in Uttar Pradesh. 
• Its main aim was to get funds from the British administration for the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) through force. 
• Execution: Convicted and executed on March 23, 1931, along with fellow revolutionaries Sukhdev and Rajguru. 
• He is affectionately called Shahid-e-Azam, meaning the greatest martyr.

Literary Contributions

• Why I Am an Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
• The Jail Notebook and Other Writings.

Ideologies

• Beliefs: Advocated for Marxist and socialist ideologies, focusing on rationalism, equality, and justice.
• Critique of Religion: Viewed organised religion as a form of mental and physical slavery.

BharatGen

The world’s first Government-funded Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) Initiative known as BharatGen was recently launched.

 BharatGen

• Scope: BharatGen is an initiative that will create generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that can generate high-quality text and multimodal content in various Indian languages.
• Initiative by: Spearheaded by IIT Bombay under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
• Features: The four key distinguishing features of BharatGen are:
• The multilingual and multimodal nature of foundation models; 
• Bhartiya data set based building, and training; 
• Open-source platform and 
• Development of an ecosystem of generative AI research in the country. 
• Significance of BharatGen:
• Cultural and Linguistic Preservation: Supports India’s diverse languages and cultures in AI development.
• Accessible AI: Makes AI available to all citizens, promoting social equity.
• India-Centric Data: Focuses on India-specific data, ensuring accurate representation and digital sovereignty.
• Strengthens AI Ecosystem: Reduces reliance on foreign tech, boosting domestic AI innovation.
• Open-Source Collaboration: It  will help democratise AI across India
• Data-Efficient Models: Creates AI models effective with minimal data, benefiting underserved languages.
• Long-Term AI Adoption: Aims for wide AI use across industries by 2026.

Eco-Sensitive Zones & Western Ghats

The Karnataka government has asked the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to withdraw the sixth draft notification issued by it for declaration of Eco-Sensitive Area (ESAs) of the Western Ghats.

Background

• On July 31, 2024, MoEF&CC reissued the draft notification for the sixth time in a decade, proposing to classify parts of the Western Ghats in six states as ESAs.
• Objections and suggestions were called for within a 60-day period.
• Karnataka rejected the Kasturirangan Committee report in a Cabinet meeting on September 26.
• The government argues that implementing the report would cause hardships to 1,499 villages across 33 taluks in 10 districts of Karnataka, affecting lakhs of residents.

Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs)

• Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs)are located within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• It acts as a transition zone for areas which have less protection to areas which have high protection.
• These are notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under Environment Protection Act 1986.
• Established since 2002, ESZs act as buffer zones, providing an additional layer of wildlife protection by serving as “shock absorbers,” facilitating a smooth transition from strictly protected zones to areas with more relaxed conservation regulations.
• It is also known as Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs).

Conservation Efforts for Western Ghats

• Government has taken various measures to conserve biodiversity with the establishment of Protected Area network, tiger reserves and biosphere reserves. 
• Nearly 10% of the total area of Western Ghats is currently covered under protected areas.
• The government has also taken initiative to demarcate Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) for promotion of environment-friendly and socially inclusive development.

Madhav Gadgil Committee (2011)

• Classification of Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs): The report proposed classifying 64 percent of the Western Ghats, spread over six states, into three categories – ESZ 1, ESZ 2, and ESZ 3.
• Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA): The entire Western Ghats region was recommended to be designated as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.
• Developmental Activities: The report called for a halt to almost all developmental activities like mining, construction of thermal power plants, and dams in ESZ 1. 
• Bans and Restrictions: Genetically modified crops, plastic bags, Special Economic Zones, new hill stations, and changes in land use from farmland to non-farm land were  to be prohibited. 
• The diversion of rivers to protect the ecology of the region and conversion of public lands into private lands were also discouraged.
• Bottom-to-Top Governance: The report suggested a decentralised approach to governance with more power given to local authorities. 
• It recommended the establishment of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to manage the region’s ecology and ensure sustainable development.
• Ban on Single Commercial Crops: The report called for a ban on growing single commercial crops like tea, coffee, cardamom, rubber, banana, and pineapple in the Western Ghats, as they had negative environmental impacts.

Dr. K Kasturirangan Committee (2013)

• Reduced Ecologically Sensitive Area: It has designated only 37% of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive.
• Categorization of Regions: The panel split the Western Ghats into two categories – cultural regions (human settlements) and natural regions (non-human settlements). 
• It proposed designating cultural lands as an Ecologically Sensitive Area.
• Categorization of Activities: The report introduced a classification of activities into three categories – red, orange, and green.
• Red Category: Activities, such as mining, stone quarrying, were recommended to be banned.
• Orange Category: Activities would be regulated and allowed with appropriate permissions.
• Green Category: All agricultural, horticultural, and certain commercial activities were allowed.

About Western Ghats 

• Older than the Himalaya mountains, the mountain chain of the Western Ghats represents geomorphic features of immense importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes.
• Location: Stretches 1,600 km (990 mi) along the western coast of the Indian peninsula.
• Coverage: 160,000 km² (62,000 sq mi) across six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• Local Names: 
• Sahyadri: In Maharashtra 
• Nilgiri Hills: In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu 
• Anaimalai Hills and Cardamom Hills: In Kerala
• Formation and Geology:
• Formation: Created during the break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana in the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods.
• Geological Evidence: The mountains were formed when India separated from Africa and rose along the west coast.
• Composition: The Deccan Plateau is made of basalt rocks, influencing the rise of the Western Ghats.
• Topographical Variation: Higher in elevation (average elevation about 1,500 m) and more continuous compared to the Eastern Ghats, with height increasing from north to south.
• Protected Areas in the Western Ghats: Protected Areas Includes two biosphere reserves, 13 National Parks, several wildlife sanctuaries, and many Reserve Forests.
• Major Protected Areas include Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Silent Valley National Park
• Recognition: Western Ghats was declared as a world heritage site in 2012 by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
• It is one of the eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity in the world.

Gender Justice in the context of Rapes

The recent incident of sexual assault and Rape of a medical Intern in RG Kar Medical Hospital in Kolkata has again shed light on the precarious living conditions of women in India and their never ending struggle for gender Justice.

About Rape

• Definition: Rape is any non-consensual vaginal, anal or oral penetration of a sexual nature of the body of another person with any bodily part or object, including through the use of physical violence 
• Legal Definition: Rape has been legally defined under Section 375 of Indian Penal Code 1860 as, a man is said to commit a rape when there has been sexual intercourse with a woman in any of the following circumstances,
• Against her will and consent
• When the consent is obtained but it should not be under the pretext of fear of death
• When the consent has been obtained fraudulently under the pretext of marraige 
• When the consent is given by a person who is of unsound mind or intoxicated or unable to understand the nature of giving the consent.
• When a girl is under 16 years of age, with or without her consent.
• Prevalence: As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Data, 
• Rapes: The Crime in India  2021 annual report, reports 31,677 rape cases, a rise from 2020 with 28,046 cases. 
• Of these, 10 per cent were rapes of minors
• On an average India reported 90 cases per day in 2022.
• Conviction Rates: It ranged between 27%- 28% from 2018-2022

Rape: A Tool for Violence against Women

• Power Crime: Rapes is widely seen as an accepted course of action to control a women with independent, modern thinking and lifestyle or just make a disagreeable women to agree as sexual assault is motivated by hostility, power and control.
• Example: In The 2012 Nirbhaya Case, The Rapist acknowledged to have committed the crime to teach the victim a lesson as she was being disagreeable. 

• Notion of Sexual Purity: Women bear the responsibility of her Family’s Honour by maintaining her sexual purity and any deviation on her part makes her liable for punishment.
• Example: Khap Panchayat’s orders of Revenge Rapes or mass Raping the women if she breaks the societal dictat.  
• Patriarchal Attitudes on Women: The Patriarchal literature across all the societies and religions consider women’s primary role as child bearing. Thus, catering to male sexual entitlement becomes her purpose.
• Example: Manusmriti mentions women as one of the impure groups.
• In Conflict Situations: Rapes as a tool to shame and humiliate the other community in times of violence ie. ethnic (Manipur), communal (Bilkis Bano Rape Case), caste(Bhawari Devi Rape Case)
• Rape Culture: It is an environment where rapes and sexual violence is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture, perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence
• Example: Victim Blaming (“She asked for it!”); Trivializing sexual assault (Boys will be boys or Men make Mistake); Sexually explicit jokes; Tolerance of sexual harassment; Publicly scrutinizing a victim’s dress, mental state, motives, and history
• Reinforce Repressive Gender and Caste Hierarchies: Women in general and Lower Caste women in particular are more vulnerable to rapes and sexual assault as they are otherwise treated as lesser species already. Such crimes are also a means to Reinforce Repressive Gender and Caste Hierarchies
• Example: In the Bhanwari Devi gang rape case of 1992, the trial court acquitted the accused on the grounds that an upper-caste man would not have touched a lower-caste woman.
• Rape Myths: No means yes; a lady never says yes; women like to be taken by force etc. are all myths perpetuated in common culture depriving women of their voice or agency to exercise her choice. 
• Example: In the Movie ‘Pink’, A beautiful scene showed a woman’s ‘NO means NO’- there is no grey area here.
• Gender Inequality in Family: A familial structure where violence against women (mother, sister, daughter) is acceptable, often results in a dysfunctional violent household where this same anti women ideology is imparted on to the next generation. 
• Pathological Obsession: The raping of minors, old aged women, women of unsound mind or even committing bestiality is nothing but a pathological obsession or addiction with sex.
• Technology Enabled: The increasing penetration of mobile phones and internet and lack of sexual education at homes and schools has led to young boys (minors) come across sexually explicit content (porn, bullying, abusive) in secrecy.
• Example: Three boys under eleven years of age were booked for gang raping a three year old girl in Bihar’s East Champaran District in 2021.

Gender Justice

• Gender Justice is the principle of equality and equity for all people, irrespective of one’s gender, in all areas of life and is an intersectional approach focusing on the needs of the most discriminated and oppressed.
• The concept of gender justice is inclusive of transgender and nonbinary people. 
• Constitutional Provision Promoting Gender Justice: Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 15(1)( Right against Discrimination), Article 16 (Right to equal opportunity for all citizens in matters of public employment), Article 21 (Right to Life),  Article 23 (Prohibits Trafficking in humans, begar, and other forms of forced labor), Article 42 (state’s responsibility to provide just and humane working conditions and maternity relief)

How the Principles of Gender Justice Can Combat Sexual Crimes?

• Equal rights: Everyone should have equal rights and be free from discrimination manifested in violence, abuse and unequal treatment at home, at work and wider communities. 
• Everyone should be well versed about their gender specific rights and Gender Curriculum should be introduced in schools and colleges. 
• Equal Access: Everyone should have equal access to resources and opportunities to learn, to earn and to lead, which will lead to safe places at work.
• Follow the Vishakaha guidelines stringently and also adopt some women specific initiatives like period leaves, separate resting rooms at workplace (RG Kar Hospital) etc.
• Representation: Equal representation of women as per their population will help shape the policies, structures and decisions affecting their lives and society as a whole. Women make up only 11 per cent of the police force.
• Example: Gender Budgeting; Gender Policing; Transgender Laws etc
• Safety: Everyone should have the right to bodily autonomy and safety with steps such as Gender Policing, Street Lighting, One Stop Centres for Crimes against women and Transgenders taken to make them feel secure. Workplaces should adopt a Zero Tolerance Policy.
• Freedom to Express Gender: Sexual Crimes are Gender Neutral affecting everyone, thus everyone should be free to express their gender in any way they choose, or to not express a gender at all without shame or fear.
• Accountability: There should be increased accountability for sexual and gender-based violence with proactive and sensitive and speedy policing and trails of such cases

Way Forward 

• Adopt the RESPECT Framework: RESPECT women stands for (Relationship skills strengthening; Empowerment of women; Services ensured; Poverty reduced; Enabling environments (schools, work places, public spaces) created; Child and adolescent abuse prevented; and Transformed attitudes, beliefs and norms).
• Promoting Gender Sensitization: Conducting widespread gender sensitization programs to challenge and change the  societal attitudes towards women and sexual violence.
•  
• Example: National campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao should be expanded to include comprehensive gender sensitization at the community level.
• Expanding Victim Support Services: Establishing comprehensive support services for rape survivors, including legal aid, counseling, and rehabilitation.
• Example: The government could expand the scope of One Stop Centres to provide holistic support for survivors across the country.
• Implementing Mandatory Sex Education: Integrating comprehensive sex education into school curriculums to foster a culture of respect and consent from an early age.
• Example: States can implement an Adolescent Education Programme (AEP) more widely to educate young people about gender equality and sexual rights.

Govt ignored Niti red flag that data protection law could weaken RTI

NITI Aayog, the top think tank of the government, had opposed some of the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and particularly red-flagged the changes proposed to the Right to Information (RTI) Act that could “weaken” the legislation.

Background: –

• In simple words, what the data protection law proposed is an amendment to a section in the RTI Act with such effect that disclosure of personal information about public officials would not be allowed even when these are justified in larger public interest.

Digital Personal Data Protection Act:

• It is a comprehensive privacy and data protection law that provides guidelines on processing, storing, and securing personal data.
• It aims to regulate the processing of digital personal data while ensuring individuals’ right to protect their data and the need to process it for lawful purposes.
• It protects digital personal data by providing:
• The obligations of Data Fiduciaries (that is, persons, companies, and government entities who process data) for data processing (that is, collection, storage, or any other operation on personal data);
• The rights and duties of Data Principals (that is, the person to whom the data relates);
• Financial penalties for breach of rights, duties, and obligations.

Salient Features of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act:

• It applies to the processing of digital personal data within India where such data is collected in digital form or non-digital form and digitised subsequently.
• It empowers individuals with the right to know and control their personal data. This includes rights to access, correction, and erasure of their data, giving citizens greater control over their personal information.
• It mandates that personal data may be processed only for a lawful purpose after obtaining the consent of the Data Principal (who shall have the right to withdraw consent at any time). For a child or a person with a disability, consent will be provided by the parent or legal guardian.
• It makes provisions to enhance data security and facilitate easier enforcement of data protection laws as certain types of sensitive personal data are required to be stored and processed within India.
• It establishes a Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) to oversee compliance and handle grievances. It is responsible for adjudicating disputes and imposing penalties for violations.
• It mandates organisations to notify individuals and the Data Protection Board of any data breaches that may compromise personal information. It aims to ensure transparency and prompt action in the event of data leaks.
• It specifies penalties for various offences such as up to Rs 200 crore for non-fulfilment of obligations for children, and Rs 250 crore for failure to take security measures to prevent data breaches.

Issues with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act:

• It violates the fundamental right to privacy as it provides exemptions for the State. Using exemptions, a government agency may collect data about citizens to create a 360-degree profile for surveillance.
• It does not provide enough safeguards regarding the transfer of personal data outside India as it may not ensure adequate data protection standards in the countries where the transfer of personal data is allowed.
• It has removed Section 43A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, which mandated companies to compensate users in case of mishandling their data.
• It has provided a complicated approach to grievance redressal as aggrieved individuals are required to first approach the data fiduciary’s redressal mechanism.
• It proposes that the personal information of public officials will not be disclosed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which could aid corrupt practices by not disclosing assets, liabilities, etc.
• It provides that the data fiduciary will not undertake any processing that has a detrimental effect on the well-being of a child. However, there is no definition of detrimental effect or any guidance for determining such effect.
• It does not grant the right to data portability and the right to be forgotten to the data principal.

India’s core sectors slipped to a nine-month low

Output levels in India’s core sectors slipped to a nine-month low in August 2024, even as year-on-year growth slipped 1.8%, marking the first contraction in three and a half years.

Index of Industrial Production

• IIP is an indicator that measures the changes in the volume of production of industrial products during a given period.
• It is compiled and published monthly by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• It is a composite indicator that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:
• Broad sectors, namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.
• Use-based sectors, namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.
• Base Year: 2011-2012.
• The government is aiming to adopt a new base year for the IIP by 2026-27. 
• The proposed new base year is 2020-21.

Eight Core Sectors

• The main or the key industries constitute the core sectors of an economy. In India, there are eight sectors that are considered the core sectors. 
• The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilisers.
• They comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

India’s current account deficit (CAD) widened

India’s current account deficit (CAD) widened marginally to $9.7 billion (1.1% of GDP) in Q1 FY25 from $8.9 billion (1% of GDP) in the year-earlier period and a surplus of $4.6 billion (0.5% of GDP) in Q4FY24, as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.

Key Highlights of the RBI Data

• Merchandise Trade Deficit: The primary reason for the CAD widening was the rise in the merchandise trade deficit to $65.1 billion in Q1 FY25 from $56.7 billion in Q1 FY24.
• Services Receipts Growth: Net services receipts rose to $39.7 billion from $35.1 billion a year ago, with increases in exports of computer, business, travel, and transportation services.
• Private Transfer Receipts: Remittances by Indians abroad increased to $29.5 billion in Q1 FY25, up from $27.1 billion in Q1 FY24.
• Primary Income Outflows: Net outgo on the primary income account rose to $10.7 billion, reflecting higher payments on investment income.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): FDI inflows increased to $6.3 billion in Q1 FY25, compared to $4.7 billion in Q1 FY24.
• Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI): FPI inflows moderated significantly to $0.9 billion, down from $15.7 billion in Q1 FY24.
• External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs): ECB inflows decreased to $1.8 billion from $5.6 billion a year ago.
• Non-Resident Deposits: Net inflows from NRI deposits increased to $4.0 billion, compared to $2.2 billion in Q1 FY24.
• Foreign Exchange Reserves: Foreign exchange reserves saw an accretion of $5.2 billion in Q1 FY25, lower than $24.4 billion in Q1 FY24.

What is the Current Account Deficit and Its Trends? 

• Current account deficit is the difference between exports and imports of goods and services. 
• It is a key indicator of the country’s external sector.
• Components: It is the sum of Balance of Trade (Export minus Imports of Goods and Services) + Net Factor Income from Abroad (Interest income and Dividends, etc) and Net Transfer Payments ( Eg- Foreign Aid) 
• Formula: Current Account = Trade Balance+Net factor income+Net transfer payments 
• “Twin deficit” : The situation in which one nation has a current account deficit (trade deficit) and Fiscal deficit at the same time.
• Fiscal Deficit= Total Expenditure- Total Receipts (excluding borrowings).

Causes of Current Account Deficit

Implication of Current Account Deficit

• Depreciation of Rupee: A large current account deficit for a continued period of time can lead to depreciation of rupee, and the demand for foreign currency (especially dollars) will see a rise.
• Inflation: Depreciation of rupee, as a result of continued deficit in the country’s current account, will see prices of imported goods becoming costlier, and in turn pushes the country towards inflation.
• Elevated Interest Rates: It will affect the investment & consumption cycle of the economy.
• Economic Growth: Persistent CAD affects economic imbalances which further hinders sustainable growth prospects of the country.
• Trade Balance: Due to Current account deficits Competitiveness & stability of Domestic Industries will get affected.

Ways to Moderate India’s Current Account Deficit

• Reduce the price of commodities.
• Appreciation of rupee.
• Lessen debt taken from developed nations.
• Reduce foreign ownership of assets.
• Improve the quality of imported goods.
• Reduce non-essential imports of gold, mobiles, and electronics.
• Increase value of exports.

Balance of Payment and Its Components

• Definition: Balance Of Payment (BOP) is a bookkeeping system that summarises the country’s economic transaction with other countries of the world for a particular period. 
• Impact: BoP keeps track of the trade and investments and transfers in a country with the rest of the world. 
• Components: The BoP is composed of Capital and Current Accounts. 

Ocean Warming Rate Doubles Since 2005: Report

Oceans have been warming nearly twice as fast since 2005 due to human-caused climate change, according to the Copernicus Marine Service report.

More on the Report

• Oceans, which cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, play a crucial role in regulating global climate.
• Continuous Rise in Ocean Temperature:
•  
• Ocean warming has been ongoing since the 1960s but has sharply increased since 2005.
• The warming rate has nearly doubled, from 0.58 watts per m² to 1.05 watts per m² over the past two decades.
• Ocean Warming Reflects Global Warming:  Ocean warming is seen as a clear indicator of global warming.
• It absorbs 90% of excess heat from the atmosphere caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, as reported by the IPCC.

About Ocean Warming

• The ocean absorbs extra heat from greenhouse gases, causing the water temperature to increase.
• Reasons for Ocean Warming
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Burning fossil fuels, cutting trees, and industrial activities release gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) that trap heat, making the atmosphere and oceans warmer.
• CO2 Absorption: The ocean absorbs excess CO2 from human activities. While this helps reduce climate change, it also causes ocean warming.
• Solar Radiation: Changes in solar energy can also increase ocean temperatures over long periods, but it’s a small factor compared to human activities.
• Rising sea surface temperatures: Implications:
•  
• Marine biodiversity loss
• Weak reef ecosystem
• Disruption of food web
• Disruption of ocean currents

Key Findings of the Report 

• Status of warming of oceans 
• Marine Heatwaves: In 2023, 20% of the world’s oceans experienced severe marine heatwaves, affecting marine life and ecosystems.
• Longer Marine Heatwaves:  The average duration of marine heatwaves has doubled since 2008, from 20 days to 40 days annually.
• Permanent Heatwave in the Arctic:  Parts of the Arctic, particularly the north-east Barents Sea, have entered a state of permanent marine heatwave.
• Impact of Ocean warming (CMS report)
• Severe Weather Events:  Warmer oceans fuel storms, hurricanes, and extreme weather by influencing global weather patterns.
• Mass migration: Marine heatwaves can cause mass migration and mortality of species, disrupting ecosystems and nutrient distribution.
• Sea Ice Loss and Record Temperatures: 2023 saw the lowest sea ice levels on record in the polar regions.
• In August 2022, the Balearic Islands recorded their warmest coastal waters in 40 years at 29.2°C.
• Coral Bleaching: Warmer water causes corals to lose algae that they need to survive, leading to coral bleaching and making them more prone to diseases, which harms coral reefs.
• Sea Level Rise: Warmer oceans cause water to expand and polar ice to melt, raising sea levels. This leads to coastal erosion and makes coastal areas more vulnerable.
• Disruption of Marine Food Webs: Rising temperatures change the distribution of marine species, disrupting the food chain and impacting fisheries and communities that depend on them.
• Increased Ocean Acidity: Ocean acidity has increased by 30% since 1985 due to climate change, primarily from burning fossil fuels.
• This increasing acidity threatens marine species like corals, mussels, and oysters, affecting their ability to form skeletons and shells.
• It damages fragile ecosystems, and disrupts the flow of nutrients in the ocean.

Sarco Suicide Pod

The death of a 64-year-old American woman in Switzerland has brought the Sarco pod, a controversial suicide device, under legal scrutiny. 

More On News

• The woman, who reportedly suffered from an autoimmune condition, used the Sarco pod to end her life, prompting Swiss authorities to arrest at least four individuals involved.

What Are Euthanasia and Assisted Dying?

• Euthanasia and assisted dying both involve a person intentionally choosing to end their life, but they differ in how this is accomplished. 
• Euthanasia: It requires the involvement of a physician, who administers a lethal drug to the patient or removes the life supporting devices depending on the type of euthanasia.
• Voluntary Euthanasia: When a patient consents to end their life, often due to terminal illness or pain.
• Involuntary Euthanasia: The patient is euthanized without their consent, despite being capable of providing it, which is illegal in most places.
• Non-Voluntary Euthanasia: Performed when the patient cannot consent, like in cases of coma, with decisions made by others.
• Active Euthanasia: Involves directly causing death, such as administering a lethal injection.
• Passive Euthanasia: Withholding life-sustaining treatments, allowing the patient to die naturally
• Assisted Dying: It involves the person administering the lethal substance themselves, with medical professionals only providing the drug.
• In this case, the patient actively participates in the process, and there is no requirement for the individual to be terminally ill.

What Is the Sarco Pod?

• The Sarco pod, short for sarcophagus,which is a term used for stone coffins historically  used for Royal burials. 
• Sarco Pod was designed by Dr. Philip Nitschke, founder of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International, in collaboration with Dutch engineer Alex Bannink.
• The pod, first introduced in 2019, is a portable, 3D-printed, airtight capsule that enables a person to end their life.
• Working:
•  
• It works by releasing nitrogen gas, rapidly lowering oxygen levels inside the capsule.
• Once the process is initiated, the user loses consciousness within a minute, and death follows shortly thereafter.
• To use the Sarco, an individual must pass an online mental fitness test, after which they are granted access to the device via a 24-hour access code.
• The pod is intended to allow individuals to choose the location of their death, emphasising autonomy in the dying process.

Swiss Laws on Assisted Dying and Euthanasia

• Switzerland has strict laws on euthanasia, banning active euthanasia while permitting assisted dying and assisted suicide.
• It requires the person ending their life does so without external assistance and those assisting them have no self-serving motives. 
• These laws have made Switzerland a destination for “death tourism,” where individuals travel to the country to legally end their lives.

How does Sacro Pod Violate the law?

• Loophole in Swiss Law: Some argue that the Sarco pod exploits gaps in Swiss assisted suicide laws, though it may not fully comply with national regulations.
• Swiss Legal Expert’s View: Daniel Hürlimann stated that the Sarco pod did not violate laws related to medical devices, nitrogen use, or product safety.
• Government’s Dispute: Swiss authorities claim the pod breaches product safety and chemical laws, challenging its compliance with regulations.
• Key Legal Issue: Whether Sarco constitutes “external assistance” in assisted suicide remains unclear under Swiss law.
• Ethical Debate: The Sarco pod raises questions about the balance between technological assistance and personal autonomy in assisted dying.
• Ongoing Investigation: The Sarco pod is central to the ongoing debate on the future of assisted suicide and euthanasia in Switzerland.

Euthanasia in India

• Legalisation of Passive Euthanasia (2018): The Supreme Court legalised passive euthanasia, allowing individuals to make a ‘living will’ and refuse life support under certain conditions.
• The judgement came in Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India,2011 case.
• Right to Dignity Under Article 21:
  The Court ruled that dignity in the dying process is a part of the right to life, protected under Article 21, which safeguards life and personal liberty. Depriving someone of dignity at the end of life undermines meaningful existence.
• Active Euthanasia is a Crime:
  In India, active euthanasia remains illegal and is considered a criminal act.

Small nuclear reactors get traction: Private players offer captive sites for power projects

India’s plans to get into the manufacturing value chain of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) are yielding some positives with a handful of private players learnt to have shown interest in deploying these at their captive site.

Background: –

• The SMR push comes at a time when the global nuclear power sector is faced with a general decline in output, with its share dropping to the lowest point in nearly four decades due to a combination of factors — national policy pivots, economic viability issues, safety concerns and the rapid growth of renewable energy alternatives.

About Small Modular Reactors (SMR)

• SMRs are small reactors offering 30-300 MWe power output per unit, and are seen as effective in not just producing base load power, but also amongst renewables as a more carbon-neutral source.
• SMRs are conceptualised in such a way that their systems and components are manufactured in a controlled factory environment and then transported straight to the project site to be installed, which optimises the construction lead time and cuts down the cost of these projects — two concerns with regard to traditional large reactor projects.
• They have potential deployment advantages like reduced size of the Emergency Planning Zone (ring fenced areas around the project site) and passive safety system, rendering them relatively safer than larger reactor-based projects.

Additional Information

• SMRs are increasingly seen as important for nuclear energy to remain a commercially competitive option in the future.
• India is pushing for a leadership slot in this small reactor space, both as a way of fulfilling its commitment to clean energy transition, and bundling SMRs as a technology-led foreign policy pitch.
• These reactors are important in offering base load power that could give grid operators some degree of operational flexibility. This is seen as significant since SMRs, when pooled together, can produce a meaningfully large amount of electricity and help meet the challenge of inducting more base load power to balance out the vagaries of renewable power output. While thermal generation is seen as important in this regard, nuclear energy offers a more carbon-neutral base load generation option.
• Though India’s civil nuclear programme has progressively upscaled its reactor sizes, from the earlier 220MWe reactors to the latest 700MWe PHWRs (pressurised heavy water reactors), the country does have an edge in producing and commercially operating small reactors.
• In the civil nuclear sector, New Delhi is pushing SMRs as a technology of promise that can help in industrial decarbonisation, and is hard selling its ability to take some kind of a leadership role in the dissemination of this technology.

Stem Cells Offer Hope for Type 1 Diabetes

A 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes began producing her own insulin within three months of receiving a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells.

• A groundbreaking study has revealed the potential of stem cells to treat type 1 diabetes.
• This marks the first successful treatment of the disease using stem cells.

What are Stem Cells?

• Stem cells are specialised human cells with the remarkable ability to develop into various cell types, including muscle cells, brain cells, and insulin-producing cells. 
• This versatility makes them promising candidates for regenerative medicine, offering hope for treating a wide range of diseases and injuries.

Types of Stem Cells

• Multipotent: These stem cells can give rise to multiple cell types within a lineage.
• Pluripotent: These stem cells can give rise to all cell types in an adult.
• Totipotent: These stem cells can give rise to all embryonic and adult lineages.

Sources of Stem Cells

• Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs): Derived from early-stage embryos, ESCs have the potential to become any cell type in the body.
• Adult Stem Cells: Found in specific tissues and organs, adult stem cells play a role in tissue maintenance and repair.
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs): Adult cells that have been reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. iPSCs can be generated from a patient’s own cells, reducing the risk of rejection.  

Applications of Stem Cell Therapy

• Regenerative Medicine: Repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs, such as heart muscle, cartilage, or nerve cells.
• Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Exploring potential treatments for conditions like diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injuries.  
• Immune Disorders: Modifying or enhancing the immune system to fight cancer or autoimmune diseases.
• Orthopaedics: Treating orthopaedic injuries and conditions like osteoarthritis.
• Cosmetic Procedures: For procedures like facial rejuvenation.

While this study represents a significant milestone, more research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes. However, the potential benefits of this approach are immense, offering hope for a future where diabetes is no longer a life-altering condition.